India, March 30 -- A wave of viral videos and Reddit posts have sparked confusion and fueled false hope among student loan borrowers, claiming that violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) could lead to student loan forgiveness or lawsuits against the government. The posts, some with millions of views, assert that Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) improperly accessed private student loan data, potentially violating FERPA and paving the way for individuals to have their loans discharged.

One TikTok video, with nearly 8 million views, encourages viewers to call their student aid offices and refuse to repay their loans, stating, "You don't have to pay for that anymore because you don't f...